1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of computerized administrative systems, and more particularly to a networked instructional management system targeted to scholastic environments.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the power of personal computers has grown remarkably while their price has steadily fallen. By connecting a number of personal computers together via a local area network (LAN), it is possible to create a system that is flexible and cost-effective for automating many functions within businesses and institutions.
One such institution that may benefit from a networked computer system is that of schools. In a typical school, one computer system might be used to provide administrative functions for running the school and tracking the progress of students, while another computer system might be used for computer assisted instruction (CAI) within the classroom. Having multiple computer systems within a school presents difficulties in sharing critical information between the systems as well as presenting different user interfaces that must be learned separately by staff, faculty, and students.
By using an appropriate management system, it is possible to combine administrative functions such as student monitoring and tracking and curriculum authoring, with such CAI functions as courseware delivery and student coaching. The management system should provide an easy to use interface appropriate to users of all ages and skills.
Therefore, there is a need to combine administrative and CAI capabilities within a single computer system and allow users to select system functions in a simple and intuitive manner. There is also a need to provide a easy way to author student curriculum sequences. There is an additional need to provide an effective way to coach a student if the student is not progressing through a curriculum as expected. There is a further need to deliver specific courseware to specific computers during specific time periods. There is a further need to monitor in real-time the status of each computer on the network.